“If the government doesn’t open in the next week or two, we’ll look back as these were the good days, not the bad days,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, as flight delays mounted and the nation’s air traffic control system strained under unprecedented pressure.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it was experiencing a spike in absences among air traffic controllers, and as a result, it would slow traffic to maintain safety. That throttling has already taken a toll: Delays and cancellations piled up, with LaGuardia Airport averaging delays of over two hours. Newark Liberty International Airport has at times limited arrivals to as few as 20 planes per hour, with ripple effects spilling into JFK and LaGuardia.
In fact, the FAA reports that during peak periods, nearly 80% of controllers at New York-area facilities have been absent, and half of the nation’s busiest “Core 30” facilities are experiencing shortages. These are not isolated incidents; staffing-related delays were reported from Dallas Fort Worth to Boston, Nashville, and San Francisco. In some cases, like Orlando International Airport, the shortage was so acute that “no arrivals” were permitted for hours, with delays stretching as high as 12 hours.
Controllers are considered essential employees and are working without pay during the shutdown. Many have missed several paychecks, and some have begun taking second jobs or calling out sick to make ends meet. “For this nation’s air traffic controllers, missing just one paycheck can be a significant hardship,” said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, who has urged Congress to pass a clean funding bill. The financial stress is compounded by a long-standing shortage of about 3,000 controllers nationally, leaving many working six-day weeks and mandatory overtime even before the shutdown started.
The political stakes are high. It’s rare for air traffic controllers to hold such leverage in a funding fight, and a small wave of sickouts at major airports helped drive Congress toward reopening the government during the 2018-2019 shutdown. This time, both parties are using the disruptions to frame their positions. Republicans have cited the delays as evidence of the urgency of the issue at hand, while Democrats have said that the GOP refuses to address the health care cuts and pay for workers.
But industry leaders say it has all the ingredients to escalate quickly. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby described the shutdown as “putting stress on people” and “on the economy,” citing early signs of booking declines. Transportation Secretary Duffy has said repeatedly that safety is not being compromised; explaining that delays are a deliberate measure to match traffic volume to available staffing. Aviation safety experts like Michael McCormick at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University have echoed that, with McCormick calling the slowdowns “a counterintuitive source of reassurance” because they prevent overloading the system.
The real source of stress for travelers is the unpredictability. Unlike weather-related disruptions, most staffing shortages pop without warning, making it harder to plan connections or adjust itineraries. Check flight status frequently, leave extra time at airports, and have essentials-snacks, chargers, and medications-on hand in case of extended waits. The FAA’s national operations plan continues to flag “staffing triggers” across multiple facilities-a sign that the system is operating at the edge of its capacity.
The broader economic impact is also growing. The U.S. Travel Association puts the lost visitor spending since the beginning of the shutdown at an estimated $4.2 billion. With the funding lapse poised to match the longest on record in the U.S. and no resolution in sight, the intersection of transportation safety and political gridlock is becoming increasingly visible-not just in the skies, but in the daily lives of travelers and workers alike.
